Elite Dangerous is not a sandbox
- Thread starter Sisyphus
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I decided to research the term "Sandbox" and by literal meaning that is absolutely what it is... It is a 'open world' (ok, space) that you have to build up a reasonable support vehicle to get to the whole area.
The concept of crafting to get bigger ways to travel or fight is based on you getting credits to buy the modifications.. much like having to buy weapon mod to sword/shield... and 'loot' come as credits a dropped cargo. However, none of this is required to be a Sandbox game... that just needs to be able get bigger stuff to reach the edges of the playable game.
Now, if you want to believe that what YOU feel the game should have to make the Sandbox a more entertaining game will be a good suggestion... please, send it over... But don't try to twist the meaning of the concept to meet your needs, that just shows a lack of education and a weak argument.
My reference is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_world
The concept of crafting to get bigger ways to travel or fight is based on you getting credits to buy the modifications.. much like having to buy weapon mod to sword/shield... and 'loot' come as credits a dropped cargo. However, none of this is required to be a Sandbox game... that just needs to be able get bigger stuff to reach the edges of the playable game.
Now, if you want to believe that what YOU feel the game should have to make the Sandbox a more entertaining game will be a good suggestion... please, send it over... But don't try to twist the meaning of the concept to meet your needs, that just shows a lack of education and a weak argument.
My reference is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_world
An open world is a level or game designed as a nonlinear, vast open area with many ways to reach an objective. Some games are designed with both traditional and open world levels. An open world facilitates greater exploration than a series of smaller levels, or a level with more linear challenges. Reviewers have judged the quality of an open world based on whether there are interesting ways for the player to interact with the broader level when they ignore their main objective.
After reading this and the kickstarter page I concede; ED is a sandbox according to the wiki.
Good stuff, but certainly not my choice of description of the game.
While this wont be this last time I am ever wrong in my life you should never have a go at lack of education when you just looked something up yourself. That's just a self-righteous dig.
After reading this and the kickstarter page I concede; ED is a sandbox according to the wiki.
Good stuff, but certainly not my choice of description of the game.
While this wont be this last time I am ever wrong in my life you should never have a go at lack of education when you just looked something up yourself. That's just a self-righteous dig.
Haha, by lack of study in verifying the facts of a definition is a lack of Education in the subject, you may be very well educated overall, in which case you should know better
(and yes, I'm saying that playfully). I looked before I replied to verify data, it was not a lack of knowing the term but making sure I didn't miss something (just a specialist doctor may refer to a known result to see if they missed something before a diagnosis). I defined it as research since it was more than a cursory glance some years ago, unfortunately, my stroke mucks with my memory now and then so I tend to looks LOTS up before I reply (note: I am not blaming the stroke I was this much of a jerk before the stroke). Having said that, I screw up from time to time. You admitted a change of standing and THAT is a very appreciated show of intelligence and Courage, I value that.
Elite is Elite. Why we need another Buzzword for it?
The original Elite was created in a time all games where 15 Min long,
you had 3 lives and passed the same levels again and again till you could play it blind
and passed through the end and beat your Highscore.
And in Elite there was no boundary what to do next. It was an open World.
So maybe no "Sandbox" but an "Open World" Game? Fine.
For me, its just Elite and i don`t care for any labels!
The original Elite was created in a time all games where 15 Min long,
you had 3 lives and passed the same levels again and again till you could play it blind
and passed through the end and beat your Highscore.
And in Elite there was no boundary what to do next. It was an open World.
So maybe no "Sandbox" but an "Open World" Game? Fine.
For me, its just Elite and i don`t care for any labels!
hear hear! someone with some sense!
This is a bad thread TBH. I agree with the sentiment behind the OP, but it's poorly delivered and so we have bad arguments flying both ways with little actually being discussed. In my opinion, E;D doesn't offer enough freedom to be classified as a sandbox, but that is me being pedantic. I don't really care if the game is a sandbox at the end of the day (whatever that even means), that isn't why I'm playing it in the first place. Even if it isn't a sandbox though, players could definitely be given a little bit more freedom. Take fitting your ship for example. If you are going to fit a mining Cobra, how do you fit it? Slap on Mining lasers, a few refineries and the rest cargo space. Upgrade everything else as high as you can. Where is the creativity there? Your profession pretty much perfectly dictates your exact ship loadout. The only differentiation is whether you can afford the upgraded versions. The game needs sidegrades. A shield module isn't just a shield module. How about choosing between a fast regenerating low health shield and a slow regenerating high health shield? That would at least give the players SOME feeling of agency. This is just one small example though.
ED isn't a sandbox game - technically it's an open-world game (there is no way for the player to make fundamental changes to the environment which is part of the definition of sandbox)
I whole heartedly agree with the statement I quoted though - there is little individualism in the game. I remember putting up a huge thread during the KS campaign (back in Dec '12) and the reaction from the forum user base, which was a lot smaller than it is now, was one of angst and gnashing of teeth - "too complicated" - I feel right now it's too simplistic.
Gamma will be the best time to judge ..
Sandboxes have walls to hold the sand.
Elite has a sand pit the size of the galaxy.
Therefore I postulate - E D isn't a sandbox.....
View attachment 1322
It's a beach baby!
*Apologies, it's early and I've not woken up enough to be cranky yet. Normal service will resume.
Elite has a sand pit the size of the galaxy.
Therefore I postulate - E D isn't a sandbox.....
View attachment 1322
It's a beach baby!
*Apologies, it's early and I've not woken up enough to be cranky yet. Normal service will resume.
MorkFromOrk
Banned
Well my pants are full of sand and I have chafing around my unmentionables.
This has nothing to do with whether this is a sandbox game, I just wanted to share.
This has nothing to do with whether this is a sandbox game, I just wanted to share.
I appreciate the post of a reference article. But the same argument applies... A "MMO" by definition means exactly as it says, "Massively Multiplayer Online" and by absolute it's about as massive as it comes and we are online at the same times as others. That#s literally all it means. All the other things that were asses in the article do NOT define "MMO", it just defines a set of players view of what THEY think "MMO" should contain, but they say they want it to contain these things has nothing at all to do with a "MMO".
You can say it is a "MMO" that doesn't have much contact or interaction with the other players while in the Beta stage (Since, again, it's not all here and not all running, so saying something it a definitive reference article for something that isn't even done yet.. where, it's not really based on fact yet. And a article NOT based on final fact has no validity as a reference).
edit: After release is done the complain still really fails
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For pity's sake, stop trying to one-up the game and/or turn it in your preferred direction. Unless, of course, you've got money invested in the company. In which case sell your shares.
Bottom line, if you don't like E: D, go back to Eve and leave it to people who do like E: D.
Bottom line, if you don't like E: D, go back to Eve and leave it to people who do like E: D.
I appreciate the post of a reference article. But the same argument applies... A "MMO" by definition means exactly as it says, "Massive Multiplayer Online" and by absolute it's about as massive as it comes and we are online at the same times as others. That#s literally all it means. All the other things that were asses in the article do NOT define "MMO", it just defines a set of players view of what THEY think "MMO" should contain, but they say they want it to contain these things has nothing at all to do with a "MMO".
You can say it is a "MMO" that doesn't have much contact or interaction with the other players while in the Beta stage (Since, again, it's not all here and not all running, so saying something it a definitive reference article for something that isn't even done yet.. where, it's not really based on fact yet. And a article NOT based on final fact has no validity as a reference).
edit: After release is done the complain still really fails
If you're going to get all hair splitty and technical, MMO actually stands for Massively Multiplayer Online. The "massively" is intrinsically linked to the "multiplayer" (being an adverb) and isn't a reference to the game world scale but the number of simultaneous players.
If you're going to get all hair splitty and technical, MMO actually stands for Massively Multiplayer Online. The "massively" is intrinsically linked to the "multiplayer" (being an adverb) and isn't a reference to the game world scale but the number of simultaneous players.
If those "simultaneous" players cannot instantly interact with each other I'd say the "MMO" becomes moot.
Incorrect, look at the video interviews with David Braben and the developer diaries. Your actions trading affect trade prices, discovering valuable star systems when exploring will trigger expansion and/or conflict between factions. Those actions are all affecting the game world around you.
@Thread: I do not care whether or not ED is classed as sandbox/open world or a smegging radish, what it is is farm more important than what you call it.
I agree, which is why I wouldn't call ED an MMO in the first place.
Ok... so there's no MMO's? Cos in no game can all players constantly interact with eachother.
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